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Date 24. 3. 2023
Category Watchmaking
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This year's LVMH Watch Week, which headed to Singapore and then New York, featured many watchmaking gems. Among the unique pieces from prestigious brands, there were also new models from the renowned Swiss watchmaker ZENITH, which continues its tradition of exceptional watchmaking and technological innovation.
According to Julien Tornar, CEO of ZENITH, DEFY Skyline has become one of the brand's most desirable lines in just one year. This is due not only to its strong visual identity, but also to the unique mechanism hidden inside the watch. ZENITH, which has built its reputation on, among other things, high-quality in-house movements, has equipped the new models with the El Primero calibre. This legendary movement, first launched in 1969, was one of the world's first automatic chronographs and its current version allows perfect precision in timekeeping in fractions of a second.
Zenith watches have been synonymous with precision and innovation for more than 150 years, but the DEFY collection represents a whole new era in the history of this renowned manufacture. Unlike more traditional collections, the Zenith DEFY focuses on futuristic design and advanced technology, appealing to a new generation of luxury watch lovers who appreciate the combination of craftsmanship and modern looks.
Synonymous with a unique approach to progressive watchmaking, the DEFY collection introduces several brand new models. While the DEFY Skyline Skeleton is a modern expression of the skeleton watch, the DEFY Skyline has been designed in a new unisex version of the medium-sized 36 millimetre diameter, incorporating fresh pastel colours into the case of the iconic design. The Zenith DEFY Skyline in 41 millimetres has also received its first boutique edition, masterfully blending dark tones with gold. The latest addition is the DEFY Extreme Glacier watch, a highly durable model inspired by the raw beauty of a frozen wild landscape.
The collection, which was introduced last year as the latest chapter in the enduring legacy of ZENITH's robust and extremely futuristic watches, has received a new makeover. The DEFY Skyline Skeleton watch has found inspiration in the modern urban landscape and an ever-accelerating world where every fraction of a second can make all the difference.
The Skeleton watch was equipped with a harmoniously symmetrical dial housed in a square steel case measuring 41 millimetres. Its shape takes the form of a four-pointed star, which refers to the ZENITH 'double Z' logo from the 1960s. The open dial, rendered in black or navy blue, is fine-tuned with details featuring Super-LumiNova technology for easy legibility, as well as matt and polished surfaces that highlight the depth of each moment.
Taking a cue from the first DEFY models from the 1960s, the new Skyline Skeleton steel case retains the same DNA of robustness and durability, but brings a modern look and a host of new features. Atop the steel case is a newly designed faceted bezel with 12 sides that serve as an extension of the hour markers. A screw-down crown with a star emblem ensures the watch is water resistant to 100 meters.
Inside the DEFY Skyline Skeleton watch is the El Primero 3620 SK calibre, an automatic movement designed with a similar architecture to the El Primero 3600 chronograph. Its efficient automatic movement with a star-shaped rotor provides a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
The El Primero is not just an ordinary movement - it is a legend in the watchmaking world and a key element that defines the Zenith brand identity. Thanks to its high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, it can measure time with extraordinary precision, a feature particularly appreciated by lovers of technically perfect men's luxury watches.
The unique versatility of the watch is rounded off by an ingenious quick-change strap mechanism via safety buttons on the back. The steel bracelet with satin-brushed finish and bevelled polished edges can be easily replaced by the supplied rubber strap with folding steel clasp, which perfectly matches the colour of the dial.
The same striking silhouette and star shine, but new colours and dimensions: this is the new version of the DEFY Skyline. The 36mm version retains the angular shapes, but adds more modest, unisex proportions ideal for anyone who prefers a smaller watch.
Three dial colours are available. While the first is a dark blue, the same as the 41mm version, the other two bring brand new pastel tones to the DEFY collection: pink and green. Both colours are complemented by a metallic base, polished and brushed, with rays emanating from the five-pointed ZENITH star at the top of the dial. Its geometric pattern is made up of engraved four-pointed stars, a reference to the brand's original logo from the 1960s.
The Zenith DEFY Skyline is available with or without a brilliant-cut facet. Designed for all occasions, the watch is also water resistant to 10 ATM (100 metres) thanks to its screw-down crown. A quick and easy strap change mechanism allows you to replace the steel bracelet with the supplied rubber strap with a starry sky pattern in the colour of the dial and a folding clasp.
At the heart of the watch beats a high-quality Elite 670 automatic movement. The modern grey design with a star-shaped rotor creates the same look you see in other DEFY watch collections. When fully wound, the DEFY Skyline provides a power reserve of 50 hours.
This model demonstrates Zenith's ability to adapt to changing trends and market demands without losing its distinctive signature. The smaller case size and pastel colours are attracting new groups of customers, while the technical excellence and quality of workmanship remain at the level that collectors expect from this men's luxury watch .
Thanks to its spectacular success last year, DEFY' s Zenith collection has received its first exclusive boutique edition. Offering a seductive combination of contrasting tones, the groundbreaking model features a 41mm steel case with a 12-sided faceted lunette reminiscent of the first DEFY wristwatch from 1969.
The luminous anthracite dial is decorated with a rose gold motif, which is also reflected on the hour hands and hands. The unique visual spectacle is reminiscent of a constellation of golden stars glittering in the night sky. This eye-catching effect was achieved by engraving four-pointed stars, which were then gilded in rose gold.
The DEFY Skyline Boutique Edition is powered by the automatic El Primero 3620 calibre with a unique 1/10th of a second display. The movement, which is visible through the sapphire caseback, is also endowed with a stop-seconds mechanism for precise time setting. The futuristic model with bidirectional rotor provides a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
In addition to the brushed steel bracelet with polished bevelled edges, the watch comes with a black rubber strap with a starry sky pattern and a steel folding clasp. Thanks to the quick-change system, the strap can be easily replaced according to your needs or mood.
Boutique editions are extremely prized among collectors of men's luxury watches, not only for their limited availability, but also for specific design elements not found in standard models. Zenith watches from this exclusive series thus become not only an accurate timekeeper, but also a valuable investment with the potential to grow in value over time.
A watch that blurs the lines between precision watchmaking and wearable art. The Zenith DEFY Extreme Glacier, a limited edition of just 50 pieces, is available exclusively at ZENITH brick-and-mortar boutiques and online boutiques. It was inspired by a barren frozen landscape in which only the hardiest individuals thrive. The model, which can withstand harsh and extreme environments, is the successor to the DEFY Extreme Desert watch launched in 2021.
Integral to the durable titanium case are the push-button protectors and the sharply faceted twelve-sided lower part of the layered lunette made of chalcedony. This semi-transparent crystalline stone with its pale blue hue evokes the beauty of a frozen glacier. Each stone, which is carefully hand-cut and polished, differs due to its texture, making each piece of the watch a perfect original.
The open dial of the watch reveals the internal layout of the innovative El Primero automatic chronograph with 1/100th of a second accuracy. In keeping with the glacier theme, the chronograph's counters are made of a transparent sapphire crystal, which has a matt finish that resembles a layer of light-transmitting ice.
A titanium bracelet completes the precision look of the watch, which can be exchanged for one of the supplied straps: a durable black Velcro strap with triple folding titanium buckle or a white rubber strap with folding buckle.
For lovers of extreme sports and adventure, the Zenith DEFY Extreme is the ideal combination of ruggedness, technical excellence and luxury design. It is the watchmaking equivalent of a high-performance sports car - a masterpiece of engineering dressed in an impressive coat.
The Zenith brand has a history spanning more than 150 years, during which time it has evolved from a small manufacture into one of the world's most important manufacturers of men's luxury watches. The DEFY collection represents the modern face of this traditional brand - bold, innovative and technically advanced.
Unlike more conservative collections, Zenith DEFY is not afraid to experiment with materials, colours and design concepts. Yet it retains the technical excellence and precision that characterises Zenith watches . Each model is powered by a high-end in-house movement, be it the iconic El Primero or the modern Elite.
Unveiled during LVMH Watch Week 2023, these latest creations from ZENITH are the very best of the DEFY collection. The common feature of the watches is not only their futuristic appearance, but above all the high quality and precision of timekeeping, which the Swiss watchmaker also puts first for its further developments in the coming year.
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